23 Haunting Places from Around the World Making You Feel Really Numb

You are only good as long as you are alive. Dead? And worms feed on you. Similarly, nature has a funny way of reclaiming what was once taken from it. You clear up lands and forests to build great halls and monuments. But they only stand tall and handsome as long as they are carefully maintained and closely looked after. When deserted and overlooked, monuments fall down and once cleared out plantation recapture the great halls. And the cycle goes on.

Here, we have put together a list of abandoned places encompassing a tale of their former glory. Have a look and share your views.

Abandoned Mill, Italy

This mill was built around the 10th century, in a small town of southern Italy, Sorrento then distinguished as “The Valley of Mills”. The mill produced flour for years until it was abandoned in 1866.

Photo: Susan Roehl/Flickr

Photo: FraserASmith/Flickr

Church in the Snow, Canada

The church of Saint Mary located on Notch Hill Rd, Sorrento, British Columbia was left to decay in eerily beautiful landscapes.

Photos: Kevin McElheran

City Hall Subway Station, New York, USA

City Hall Station was built in 1904 underneath the NYC City Hall. The station was closed in 1945 due to its failure in attracting adequate traffic as only 600 people on average used to travel through it only daily basis. Secondly, its arched design made it dangerous for newer and longer trains. These days, the station generally remain closed except for occasional exclusive tours.

Old City Hall Subway Station – New York, New York. No longer in use.

Old City Hall Subway Station – New York, New York. No longer in use.

Old City Hall Subway Station – New York, New York. No longer in use.

Photos: John-Paul Palescandolo & Eric Kazmirek

Floating Forest, Sydney

The World War II stalwart, SS Ayrfield is now a beautiful and haunting floating forest.

Photo: Bruce_Hood/Flickr

Photo: evangelique/Flickr

Photo: Steve Dorman/Flickr

Photo: Steve Dorman/Flickr

Hashima Island, Japan

Also known as Battleship Island/Ghost Island, Hashima Island once accommodated a population of some 5000 miners due to its access to undersea coal mines. When Japan shifted its interests from coal to petroleum, the settlement was left abandoned.

Photo: 2wid/Flickr

Photo: hashima-island.com

Photo: Nguyen Ngoc Chinh/Flickr

House of the Bulgarian Communist Party, Bulgaria

Soon after the fall of Soviet Union the flying saucer shaped building then served as the headquarters of Bulgarian Communist Party was abandoned.

Photo: Mircea T./Flickr

Photo: Darmon Richter — The Bohemian Blog

Photo: Darmon Richter — The Bohemian Blog

Photo: Darmon Richter — The Bohemian Blog

I.M. Cooling Tower, Belgium

This cooling tower is part of an abandoned power plant station in Monceau, Belgium.

Photo: brokenview/Flickr

Photo: Nikon Morris aka Oldskool/Flickr

Photo: Nikon Morris aka Oldskool/Flickr

Photo: Pippa Killi Nova/Flickr

Photo: UE Critical Mass/Flickr

Photo: Nikon Morris aka Oldskool/Flickr

Kolmanskop, Namibia

Kolmanskop, a small town in Namibia was once a diamond-rich area. During the early 1900s this site attracted many Germans who moved in search of fortune. However, after the 1st World War the diamond reserves of the area began to shrink and by the year 1950 the town was left completely abandoned.

Photo: kayline196/Flickr

Photo: Meme Kuru/Flickr

Photo: Sergio Pessolano/Flickr

Photo: VoY_TeC/Flickr

Photo: VoY_TeC/Flickr

Last House on Holland Island, USA

Chesapeake Bay on Holland Island in USA once housed a fairly large colony before it completely collapsed in 2010 due gradual and rapid land erosion.

Photo: amusingplanet.com

Maunsell Sea Forts, England

The Maunsell Sea Forts were established during the WWII near the Thames and Mersey rivers in Britain to retaliate possible German air and naval attacks. The forts retired in 1950.

Photo: Beamtwenty3/Flickr

Photo: Matthew Sheret/Flickr

Photo: Matthew Sheret/Flickr

Photo: ricksphotos101/Flickr

Photo: Matthew Sheret/Flickr

Photo: Beamtwenty3/Flickr

Michigan Central Station, Detroit, USA

Constructed through 1912 and 1913, Central Station served as the passenger rail depot for Detroit and was the tallest train station in the world. However, several planning shortcomings led to its closure in 1988.

Photo: Thomas Hawk/Flickr

Photo: Thomas Hawk/Flickr

Photo: Thomas Hawk/Flickr

Photo: The New No. 2/Flickr

Photo: Chris Luckhardt/Flickr

Military Hospital, Beelitz, Germany

Beelitz-Heilstätten hospital was constructed in the late 1800s under the military command.

Photos: dailymail.co.uk

Mysterious Dome Houses, Southwest Florida

These mysterious dome shaped structures were built in 1981 on Cape Romano off the coast of Florida in the U.S. These served as the holiday home of oil producer Bob Lee.

Photo: Mila Bridger/messynessychic.com

Photo: messynessychic.com

Nara Dreamland, Japan

It was a Disneyland inspired theme park built in 1961. After remaining in service for 45 years, it finally closed down in 2006.

Photo: TenaciousLibbs/Flickr

Photo: Bram Dauw

Photo: Florian Seidel via Abandoned Kansai

Photo: Kyle Merriman via Speigel Online

Photo: Ralph Mirebs

Orpheum Theatre, Massachusetts, USA

This Auditorium was inaugurated on the same day the Titanic sank, April 15th, 1912. The theatre was built with the purpose of providing entertainment to the masses of Massachusetts. After being closed down in 1959, it stored tobacco and is currently housing a super market.

Photos: Frank C. Grace (Trig Photography)/Flickr

Pripyat, Ukraine

Pripyat, a city of nearly 50,000 was evacuated after the nearby Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986. Since evacuation, it remains a radioactive ghost town.

Photo: Barry Mangham/Flickr

Photo: True British Metal/Flickr

Photo: СмdяСояd/Flickr

Photo: Barry Mangham/Flickr

Salto Hotel, Colombia

Salto Hotel opened in 1928 to accommodate the tourists coming to visit 157 meter-tall Tequendema Water Falls. It closed down in early 90s, once the number of tourists shrunk considerably. In 2012, the site was turned into a museum.

Photo: Milagros Mata-Gil/Flickr

Sanzhi, Taiwan

The saucer shaped homes were initially built to serve as a vacation spot for U.S military back in 1978. Loss of investments and unfortunate car accidents forced this site to close down in 1980.

Photo: Peggie Scott/Flickr

Submarine Base, Balaklava, Ukraine

This Ukrainian submarine base known for its ability to endure a direct nuclear strike was decommissioned in 1993. Today, it is a national naval museum.

Photos: Darmon Richter, The Bohemian Blog

Subway Tunnel, Kiev, Ukraine

The tunnels of Ukrainian metro system built underneath Kiev are now partially flooded.

Photos: englishrussia.com

Train Station, Abkhazia, Georgia

The train station was abandoned during a war in 1992 and remains isolated due to the regional dispute between Georgia and Russia.

Photos: Ilya Varlamov/Flickr

Underwater City, Shicheng, China

In 1959, the construction of Xin’an River Hydropower Station caused the flooding of entire Shicheng city located in Zhejiang province in eastern China. The city was founded 1,300 years ago. The entire city is largely intact in good condition underwater.

Photos: dailymail.co.uk

Wooden Houses, Russia

These hauntingly beautiful structures can be found in an isolated forest in Russia.